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Friday, January 1, 2010

More about the LocalrootZ PROJECT...

LocalrootZ

PROJECT 2010

So it has begun.... I had stated that 2010 would be the begining of a big year for myself and my art. To stir the pot from day one, my girlfriend Cassi and I have begun the 2010 installment of the LocalrootZ Project.

What is the LocalrootZ Project ?
The LocalrootZ project was created by me, Lukaduke, last spring as a way to prepare for an upcoming painting show I had entitled " Local rootZ". I took on the task of eating a 100% Maine grown diet for the 30 days leading up to the opening of the show, as well as continuing with my car free lifestyle which I have been doing for last 3+ years. A day to day journaling of this can be found here : (Day One) Project Local RootZ and if you continue scrolling through the archives you will see many many more entries from the first installment of this project!

What did I Learn from the 1st Installment of the Project ?

The project became a great way to connect with my surrounding landscape as well as create relationships with different farms and organizations that produced many of the products I was consuming. During this time I began creating alot of internal dialogue between my art and my daily life which is reflected in the recent body of art that I am and have been producing. Some of these images can be seen here : Local rootZ Painting series vol.01

Why such an emphasis on Local ?
Over the last 10+ years I have observed, as a "landscape" artist, the neglect and misuse of the land for purpose of profit. I have also noticed public demand to make everything faster, cheaper and easier take priority over what we once considered common sense environmental practices. It made me very frustrated watching humans relationship with nature become more and more artificial and it really caused me to analyze the way I was living my life as well as my role as an artist in my community. After reading numerous books (see recommend reading in the left corner), viewing various movies (see recommended movies same), as well as absorbing information from other media outlets such as; television, magazines, radio & the internet . I became overwhelmed with all the contradicting rhetoric and seemingly hopeless veiw points towards human existence within our enviornment. I searched and searched eventually realizing that the only effects I can control on the enviorment are my own... After much meditation and consideration I reached the conclusion that the most sustainable way for me to continue to habitate my enviorment was to live as locally as possible. Simplified means, to use a bicycle as my major form of transportation, grow as much of my own food as spacially possible and supplement the rest with foods sourced locally. I chose my definition of local to be, anything grown or produced using 100% Maine sourced food. Therefore, if something is sourced outside of the state and packaged in Maine, it isn't really considered local for me. It must be made using all ingredients sourced from our state. Why...? "Local" has become the new catch phrase at many of Portland, Maine's downtown establishments and has even blossomed into what everyone now calls the "Buy Local" campaign. I personally don't think the campaign is completely a bad thing, however, I do find much hypocrasy in the fact that these buisness's that boast themselves as so called leaders of the "Buy Local" campaign do not take the effort themselves to practice what they preach... simply taking your local consumers money and buying more foreign made, enviormentally distructive, cheap labored merchandise does not earn you my gold star. Essentially I see every dollar that passes from my pocket to a Maine producer as a vote. A vote torwards building a better food system, a healthier population, a closer community. This self sustained local project is a journey as well as a guide to others on the difference we can make and how rewarding life can be when you follow the salmon up the stream.